President Bola Tinubu insists the implementation of the new tax laws will commence on January 1 as planned, despite criticisms from opposition and pressure groups.
In a statement, Tinubu said the tax laws are not designed to raise taxes, but rather to support a structural reset, drive harmonisation, and protect dignity while strengthening the social contract.
“The new tax laws, including those that took effect on June 26, 2025, and the remaining acts scheduled to commence on January 1, 2026, will continue as planned,” the president said on Tuesday.
“These reforms are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a fair, competitive, and robust fiscal foundation for our country.”
He called for support from all Nigerians as the tax laws would take effect in a few days.
“Our administration is aware of the public discourse surrounding alleged changes to some provisions of the recently enacted tax laws.
“No substantial issue has been established that warrants a disruption of the reform process. Absolute trust is built over time through making the right decisions, not through premature, reactive measures.”
Controversies have continued to trail the new tax laws after a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns about what he described as discrepancies between what was passed by the National Assembly and the versions subsequently gazetted and made available to the public.
Dasuki argued that his legislative rights had been breached because the content of the gazetted tax laws did not reflect what lawmakers debated and approved on the floor of the House.
“Before you can say there is a difference between what was gazetted and what was passed, we have what has not been gazetted. We don’t have what was passed,” he said.
“The official harmonised bills certified by the clerk, which the National Assembly sent to the President, we don’t have a copy to compare. Only the lawmakers can say authoritatively what we sent.
“It should be the House of Representatives or Senate version. It should be the harmonised version certified by the clerk. Even me, I cannot say that I have it. I only have what was presented to Mr President to sign.”
His comment led to calls for the suspension of the laws. Opposition leaders like Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, and pressure groups like the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) have criticised the alleged alteration, asking the Federal Government to halt the implementation of the laws.
Tinubu signed the four tax reform bills into law in June, marking what the government has described as the most significant overhaul of the country’s tax system in decades.
The laws include the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, all operating under a single authority, the Nigeria Revenue Service.
The tax reform bills faced initial stiff opposition from lawmakers and key figures before their passage, and are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.
